What does it take to turn out superior performance horse? It makes horse sense to examine the training of other athletes who have been prepped to reach the pinnacle of their sport.

The early Greeks believed that an athlete needed to have a superbly conditioned body and a sharp, well-disciplined mind. In the same vein, the modern Olympic athlete is not only coached in physical skills but in developing a competitive mental attitude. These human counterparts are nurtured from a very early age to maximize their inherent physical prowess. Their training programs are designed to blend the body and mind to achieve victory.

The same scenario must exist for the equine athlete. The first step in the development of a successful competitor is to analyze his behavioral make-up. The ultimate question is:

The answer rests in the assessment of his physical and mental skills.

Champions tend to be naturals. When searching the new generation for future competitors, coaches, teachers and trainers look for the individual with a God-given gift for the event. Even though all gifted individuals do not reach the apex in their sport, they generally reach their peak because they like it. They are programmed to excel with proper training and discipline.

To judge a horse's natural athletic ability to perform in a specific event, it is necessary to have a clear, concise picture of what it takes to be that kind of athlete. You wouldn't choose a 180 pound 5-foot, 6-inch teenager to be a future figure skating champion, but you might expect him to be a good defensive lineman.

It is the same with horses.

Consider, how would you choose a jumping prospect out of a group of yearlings?

We would begin by looking for a sure-footed horse that has some natural ability to jump. One way to make such an assessment is to place the youngsters in a chute with a pole or cavallette. Then, ask someone to move the young horses down the alley at a trot. Watch each as it approaches and goes over the jump. The yearling that goes over with his front legs tucked up tight and his spine arched evenly is the natural. The horse that pops straight up in the air, dangling both front legs as he clears the little jump, would not be our choice.

If you were looking for a reining horse prospect out of the same group it would be necessary to place the young horses in a different situation. By hazing the young horses around a pen close to the fence it would be easy to see which yearling dropped down on his hocks as he sat down for the stop. The one that showed the added ability to whip around over his hocks would be the one I would drop my rope on and take home. The horse that propped on his front feet and bounced three or four times before he finally stopped would definitely be left in the pen for another event.

Visiting a farm to choose a racehorse would be an even different story. Ideally, we would like to observe a group of at least five to ten yearlings of the same sex in a large field where they were running and playing. The yearling that would catch my eye would consistently go to the front and refuse to let the others pass. I would be sincerely discouraged from purchasing the colt that laid back and just galloped along in the back of the pack.

Other criteria exist for the pleasure horse. Watch a pros-pective horse move at the three major gaits: walk, trot and canter. If the yearling moves fluidly across the ground with even sweeping strides at the trot and canter, give him a solid look. Does his back seem to be motionless as he moves? Do his hocks and knees lack animation? Do his feet "clip the daisies? If so, you might be looking at good western pleasure horse prospect.

Having sized up a horse's natural ability, it is time to take a good look at his physical development and conformation. Today's athletic competitions are geared to the young horse. A horse without the disposition or physical maturity to take training until three may make an excellent late performer, but the brilliance of his career is likely to be less noticeable.

On the other hand, two and three-year-old equine athletes can bring home the money and the glory. But early maturity is a gift of inheritance. Although it takes proper management to turn it into a gold mine, learn to recognize it when choosing future athletes. It is a trait that few champions are without.

The perfect companion to preciousness is ideal conform-ation. The common denominator in body structure for all breeds and in all events is straight legs and a balanced body. Yet each specific event determines the amount of emphasis placed on the ideal and the degree of tolerance accepted for individual imperfections.

For example, it is imperative that our jumper prospects have powerful hindquarters, a strong top line and exceptionally sound front legs. This may lead to a minor deviation from the ideal balance, but to master tall fences the power must be located in the rear end. The front legs must then have the strength to absorb the major concussion of the landing.

If the fences to be mastered are smaller (as in hunter classes), the power in the rear end could be sacrificed as the front legs and shoulders provide more of the inertia for the smaller jumps.

Hard stops and hindquarter work are the characteristics of a reining horse. To master these maneuvers, a reining horse prospect should have power in the hindquarters with strength and soundness of hocks and rear ankles allowing him to perform with a minimum of pain. Size is related to the horse's ability to carry his rider while performing the pattern.

So, stress to specific parts of the body changes with the tasks asked of the horse. Of our four prospects for future competition, the pleasure horse will be the least stressed. Operating at slower speed, less trauma will be placed on the limbs and body. However, it is hard for a horse to move correctly without sound legs. To be judged on his way of going and the compatibility between horse and rider, overall conformational balance is a definite plus for this prospect.

Physical structure is usually ranked first when judging a racing prospect. And correctness of the front legs is a must. Sixty percent of the body's weight will be carried across the ground at 40 to 45 miles per hour on those front legs. Add overall balance to assure an even stride that doesn't place undue stress on any part of the body and the basic structure of a racehorse is present.

Whenever ideal conformation for an event is discussed among horsemen, the topic, invariably, turns to the exceptions:

• the 14- hand pony capable of jumping 6 feet
• the crooked legged champion racehorse

There are similar stories of special horses for all breeds performing in all kinds of events.

Analyzing a horse's physical potential is an odds game. The odds are usually in favor of the perfect individual. Ultimately, however, conformation may tell you "the size of the man in the fight, not the size of the fight in the man." To measure the "size of the fight in the man" you have to look to at the mental disposition of the horse.

Horses show a wide variation in disposition both between and among breeds. There are individuals in all breeds that can be described as wild, timid, fearful, aggressive, playful, slow, quick, docile and endless other anthropomorphic words which can be used to describe behaviors.

In the four cases under consideration – prospects for pleasure, racing, jumping and reining - which of these mental characteristics are most desirable to enhance their physical potential?

Ideally, the jumper should be an aggressive, quick horse with a calm disposition. For the reining horse, the desire to do things correctly coupled with an air of tranquility makes for a horse capable of having a great run. In the racehorse, aggression and patience are paramount to getting a horse fit enough to run over 40 miles an hour to the starting gate calm enough to finish first at the wire.

Timidity and slowness are definite undesirables. A slow, docile yearling with the correct physical attributes could make a good western pleasure horse but probably not a champion. The mark of champions, "the look of eagles, is usually seen in horses who are high ranking individuals within the equine herd. Their performance brilliance is an expression of their inherent self-confidence. To gain control of such a mind without breaking the spirit takes skill and the understanding of the basic tools of behavioral manipulation.

The goal of the following chapters is to provide an understanding of some of the basic universal principles of behavior. These principles control the behavior of all higher forms of life. Hopefully mastery of these concepts will provide the reader with more tools by which to train horses without breaking their spirit.  But, if not, perhaps the reader will gain a better understanding of how horses control their owners, riders and trainers.

This article is an excerpt from our book, Influencing Horse Behavior